Marca has recently reported that Real Madrid could move in for Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde if Raphael Varane leaves this summer. It has been revealed that Los Blancos have identified the French defensive ace as one of the candidates to strengthen their squad during this summer transfer period (via Marca).
Kounde’s Impressive Campaign At The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium
The 22-year-old is experiencing a solid season at Seville and has produced a run of dominant displays at the heart of Julen Lopetegui’s defence. Kounde has featured in 41 matches for the Spanish club this term, netting four goals and grabbing one assist on all fronts.
The Paris-born sensation has given a good account of himself by averaging 0.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 2.8 clearances, 0.8 shots and 0.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this season. He has even been excellent when distributing the ball out from the back after completing 89.7% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
The way Kounde has been playing this season, it is no surprise that Real Madrid are considering him as a target in the summer as Zinedine Zidane needs to find a suitable replacement for Varane who will have just a year left in his contract at the end of this campaign.
Is Kounde The Right Choice For Los Blancos?
Kounde is a quick and agile centre-half who hardly gets beaten in a 1v1 foot race with the opposition inside his half. Despite standing at 1.78m, he possesses remarkable strength to overpower the opponent and win some important headers for his team which makes him a decent choice to be Varane’s successor at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The Sevilla star has shown this season that he has got the hunger to win the ball back for his team and is not shy of clearing his lines when needed. Zidane can expect him to add some serious competition for Nacho and Eder Militao if the Madrid head coach can find a way to bring him on board this summer.
Kounde can also be a composed presence on the ball and won’t have any trouble fitting into Zidane’s playing style at the Spanish capital. At 22, he has still got plenty of time to prove his worth as a world-class player in his position.
A defender of Kounde’s quality will undoubtedly be the right choice for Zidane if the Madrid boss is confident that he can get the best out of him in the coming seasons. With all things considered, it makes sense for Los Blancos to consider recruiting the French defender ahead of the new season.
